President Shimon Peres praised Iranian protestors Sunday as the ruling Muslim clerics escalated their campaign against the opposition and briefly arrested the family of former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, suspected of being aligned against the establishment. In the United States, President Barack Obama faces rising criticism for being too mild in comments on the continuing protests in Iran.
President Peres called on Iranians “to raise their voice of freedom” and expressed hope that the current “poor government will disappear.” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly called for the annihilation of Israel. He was declared the victor in presidential elections a week and a half ago, touching off countrywide demonstrations that have been met with violent government reprisals.
American Republicans and some Democrats have chastised President Obama for not giving enough support to the protestors, who claim that the election results were rigged against challenger Mir Hossein Moussavi.
A Washington Post editorial explained that President Obama's stance against “meddling” in Iranians affairs prevents Muslim rulers from being able to charge that the demonstrations are pro-American. However, The New York Times editorialized that the president "worries about coming out on the wrong side of history."
In Iran, Muslim clerics quickly released the family of former president Rafsanjani after arresting them, but their detention was seen as a warning that it will not tolerate opposition from Muslim clerics. Violence in the streets has subsided following the killing of several demonstrators on Saturday.